Chase Young to 49ers Trade Has NFL Fans in Awe After SF Adds Star to Loaded DL

The San Francisco 49ers' loaded defensive line just got deeper.

The 49ers agreed to trade a 2024 third-round pick to the Washington Commanders in exchange for defensive end Chase Young ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Young, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, will be a free agent in March. He's racked up 15 tackles and five sacks through seven games in 2023, returning to form after spending much of the previous two years dealing with injuries.

With the 49ers already boasting Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave, adding Young is a clear case of the rich getting rich getting richer. NFL fans—some of whom will have to see their teams play against this San Francisco line this season—had their jaws agape with the deal.

This is the second straight season the 49ers have made a blockbuster deal at the deadline. A year ago, they acquired Christian McCaffrey and never lost another regular-season game after he made his debut.

This season, they bolster the other side of the ball by adding to what was already considered a strength on their defense.

San Francisco began the 2023 regular season at 5-0 before dropping its last three games. The concern after those three losses was largely with quarterback Brock Purdy, but one way to ensure a shaky quarterback can win in the postseason is by surrounding him with one of the NFL's best defenses on the other side.

The 49ers may have just re-established themselves as NFC favorites.